What Toner to use for Platinum-Palladium Prints?

[photo8x10]

Hello everyone,

I would like to use a toner for my pt/pd prints, to increase protection of them and if possible, controll a bit print tone.
But wich toner I should use? Selenium, Gold or others?
And another question. I read arentz's book(1st edition) where I wrote somethings about to buffering print with carbonate.
When I should use a buffering bath? I usually use Hypo cleaner or EDTA with Sulfite for my clearing baths.

Thanks

Stefano

 

[Kerik]

Hmmm... I don't think you will in any way protect your pt/pd prints by toning them any more than they are already protected due to the nature of those metals. If anything, you may make them less archival.

You can however, do a gold toning to change the image color. Try googling "Sullivan's gold toner" and see what you find.

 

[Michael Mutmansky]

Stefano,

What Kerik said for toning.

The buffering solution is most useful for people who use strong acid clearing baths, because the paper will often come out of that with an acidic pH when tested (yes, even after a long wash). I don't think I would use a buffering agent unless you have an acidic clearing bath regimen. SS+EDTA will test out basic, and HCA will test out acidic, but not strongly so, if I remember correctly.

If you can get your hands on a pH pen (Light Impressions sells them in the US, I don't know about in Italy), you can test the paper after your normal printing regimen. If it is testing acidic, it probably makes sense to knock it back with a mild buffering bath. I would go from the clearing baths to a water wash for a while, and then to the buffer, and then to the 30 minute water wash.


---Michael